Central Government has launched ‘Swachh Survekshan-2018’ to rank all the 4,041 cities and towns of the country on 31st of July 2017. It is based on certain parameters like infrastructure development for improved sanitation services and their sustainability, outcomes, citizen connect and visible impact on ground.
Key Points:
Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs Shri Narendra Singh Tomar has launched the survey, the third in the series and released a comprehensive Survey Tool Kit which explain the methodology, weightages and new features and plunge areas .
- As per the Survey Toolkit released, cities and towns will prepare over the next six months before field assessment begins on the fourth of January next year with survey results scheduled to be announced on 26th March 2018.
- It helps cities and towns prepare for the field survey over the next six months.
- The first Pan-India sanitation survey will assess sanitation levels in all the cities and towns of the country.It will impact the lives of about 40 crore urban people and it is the largest of its kind in the world.
- The 4,041 cities and towns are to be covered under Swachh Survekshan-2018, results of which will be announced in March next year.
- It includes 500 with a population of one lakh and above each and state capitals and 3,541 with population below one lakh each.
- For these 3,541 towns, State and Zonal rankings will be announced besides national rankings for the other 500 cities and towns.
- The Minister informed that the methodology and weightages for Swachh Surekshan-2018 have been modified to certain extent.
- It is based on extensive consultations with city and state governments, experts and other stakeholders and in line with the progress of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban).
- The total weightage for Citizen Feedback and Independent observation of sanitation have been increased by 10% over that of 2017 Survey.
- To encourage cities take up innovative sanitation practices and solutions, a new element of ‘Innovation’ has been introduced this year with a weightage of 5%.
Sanitation component-wise weightages
| Component | Weightage in 2017 Survey | Weightage in 2018 Survey |
| ODF Progress | 30% | 30% |
| Collection & Transportation of Solid waste | 40% | 30% |
| Processing & Disposal of solid waste | 20% | 25% |
| Info, Edu, Communication | 5% | 5% |
| Capacity Building | 5% | 5% |
| Innovation | – | 5% |
| Total marks | 2000 | 40000 |
Assessment Weightages
| Assessment Category | Weightage in 2017 Survey | Weightage in 2018 Survey |
| Service level progress (Infrastructure creation, Processes operations) | 45% | 35% |
| Citizen Feedback | 30% | 35% |
| Independent Field observation | 25% | 30% |
The Survey Methodology seeks to capture the efforts under and outcomes of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) as the cities are taking step from building toilets towards Solid Waste Management.
- Under this survey, cities will be ranked based on 71 sanitation related parameters with different weightages for a total of 4,000 marks.
- Under this, if claims of city governments are found to be incorrect by independent assessors, they will get 33% negative marks besides zero marks in respect of such parameters.
- Marks for each of the components of sanitation will be assigned based on rigorous assessment of claims of city governments, citizen feedback and independent observation.
- It gives emphasis on decentralized solutions, ensuring sustainability of improved sanitation infrastructure and services and enforcement.
- Total score has been doubled this time to avoid crowding of cities with very marginal differences in scores that happened in the previous survey.
- Under Swachh Survekshan-2016, 73 cities with a population of million plus each and all state capitals were ranked in which Mysuru, Chandigarh and Tiruchirapalli emerged as the cleanest cities in that order.
- In the 2017 Survey, 434 cities with a population of one lakh plus each and state capitals were assessed in which Indore, Bhopal and Visakhapatnam were the cleanest cities.
Swachh Survekshan-2018’s rousing anthem ‘Swachhata Ki Jyot JagiHai’ released
To inspire the people to participate in the Swachhata Jan Andolan and connect themselves with the ‘Swachhata Survekshan-2018’ launched on 31st July 2017. The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs released a song with opening line ‘Swachhata Ki Jyot Jagi Hai’. (The flame of sanitation has been lit).
Key Points:
This song to be used as the anthem for the survey. It has been released by Shri Babul Supriyo, Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.
- The song conceived by Shri Supriyoand has been scripted by renowned lyricist Shri Prasoon Joshi and visualized free for the ministry by Producer ShriMukesh Bhatt and Shri Shankar Mahadevan gave the music.
- To connect the people with the sanitation survey, this song has been provided by a team of Shri Babul Supriyo, ShriUdit Narayan, Ms.ShreyaGhoshal, Ms.AlkaYagnik, AkritiKakar and Shann Banerjee, to the chorus of children.
- The song also has messages of Shri Amitabh Bachhan and ShriSachin Tendulkar.
- The song will be dubbed into regional languages for wider outreach